MLB Player News

Perez was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Thursday, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.

Perez was claimed off waivers by the Nationals in early November, though he failed to land a spot on the Opening Day roster after giving up eight runs in three innings across four relief appearances this spring. He'll begin the year in the minors but will be in the mix to provide bullpen depth at some point.

The Diamondbacks optioned Frias to Triple-A Reno on Thursday.

He was one of five players sent out from big-league camp in the Diamondbacks' latest round of roster cuts in advance of Opening Day. The 23-year-old right-hander had been vying for a spot in Arizona's bullpen to begin 2022 after he made three appearances for the big club last season following a Sept. 18 call-up from Reno.

Bard will likely be part of a three-man closing committee to begin the regular season, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Bard avoided arbitration with the Rockies in late November by agreeing to a one-year, $4.4 million deal, but the team also brought in Alex Colome during the offseason, while Carlos Estevez is also in the mix. Bard saw plenty of ninth-inning work last year and converted 20 of 28 save chances with a 5.21 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 65.2 innings across 67 appearances. The 36-year-old struggles against left-handed hitters, and manager Bud Black indicated Wednesday that he'll be able to ride the hot hand among the three pitchers since none of them have very expensive contracts. While Bard should get a chance at some ninth-inning duties early in the year, he'll need to improve against lefties if he hopes to remain in the committee.

Lee was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Lee made his big-league debut last season but threw just two innings, so he was likely always a long shot to break camp with the team. His excellent 54:6 K:BB and 1.54 ERA in 46.2 innings for Gwinnett last season means he should be one of Atlanta's top options whenever they need another lefty in the bullpen.

Moreta has a chance to win a roster spot out of spring training in the bullpen, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. He struck out the side Wednesday after the first batter reached on a dropped pop-up. "Moreta has shown what he can do," Reds manager David Bell said. "He had a great year in the minor leagues last year, came up [to the big leagues] and definitely held his own. He has got a strong chance to be a part of our bullpen, and today you saw another good outing."

The Reds made a handful of roster moves this week and Moreta remains as part of the bullpen mix in the wake of those moves. 2021 was a breakout campaign for the right-hander, as he compiled a whopping 59:9 K:BB over 54 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. He made his MLB debut late last season and allowed one run on two hits with four strikeouts and a walk across 3.2 frames.

Martin could be in the mix for saves with the Cubs this season as manager David Ross may use multiple pitchers in the closer role, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Rowan Wick is the presumptive favorite for ninth-inning work, though Ross said he may rotate pitchers into the role. That could include the veteran Martin, along with the likes of Mychal Givens, David Robertson and Manuel Rodriguez. Martin was an effective reliever the last two seasons for Atlanta, though he only recorded two saves in that time, so he was more of a setup option than a true closer.

Quezada cleared waivers and was outrighted to Double-A Springfield on Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Quezada was designated for assignment Tuesday but will remain in the organization after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 27-year-old will report to the Double-A level, where he allowed 14 earned runs with a 14:6 K:BB over 11.2 innings last season.

Kerr was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday.

Kerr was traded to the Padres during the offseason, and he allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out five in three innings across three relief appearances during Cactus League play. The left-hander will begin the year in the minors but will likely be in the mix to make his major-league debut at some point this season.

Atlanta expects to reinstate Yates (elbow) from the 60-day injured list at some point in August, barring any setbacks in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Yates had the elbow procedure March 24 of last year, so he would be 16 months removed from surgery by the time August arrives. The 35-year-old Yates may need some time to shake off some rust once Atlanta activates him and may not take on a high-leverage role right away, but he could prove to be a valuable late-season addition to the bullpen. Just three years earlier, he turned in one of the best reliever seasons in recent memory, converting 41 of his 44 save chances while submitting a 1.19 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 101:13 K:BB in 60.2 innings for the Padres.

Finnegan threw a scoreless two-thirds of an inning with one hit allowed in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Even so, Finnegan sits with a 12.27 ERA this spring. He was knocked around for five runs in his first three Grapefruit League appearances, and while he's turned in a pair of scoreless appearances since, he hasn't fanned a single batter his last couple times out. By no means does that negate Finnegan's strong 2021 body of work, but manager Dave Martinez seemed to prefer Tanner Rainey as his closer entering camp and Finnegan has done little so far to close the gap.